Oil cooling and refining device



Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

WILLIAM ECKS'I'EIN AND ELROY H. MACE, or CLEVELAND, oHIo.

OIL COOLING AND REFINING DEVICE.

Application filed August 12, 1922. Serial No. 581,461.'

This invention relates to oil-cooling de vices, particularly forinternal-combustion engines; and is shown in this application as appliedto the crank case of such an engine,

for the purpose of cooling the lubricating oil of the case, though it isclear that it may be applied to other closed chambers con taininglubrication media with slight modification of the mounting andconnecting it) means here described. Its objectsare to lower thetemperature of the oil in the case without having to modify thestructure of the latter in any way, and without provid ing anyadditional mechanical means for creating an outside circulation, such'aswater jacket or a fan.

Another object of .this invention is to utilize the lighter vapors fromthe heated oil in the case for fuel by conducting them into the intakemanifold.

Another object is to provide a device to be connected with the case, andin which device outer air may be circulated through the oil, cooling thelatter, and then bubbling up and passing off with the vapors as beforementioned.

Another object is to provide an easily detachable device so that it maybe quickly removed and cleaned when it should be desirable to do so,though our device will require very little attention and will not becomeeasily choked by solids apt to be found, even in the cheaper oils.

A still further object is the use of means in the cooling device whichwill purify the oil as well as attain the cooling function,

From these purposes it will be seen that great economy in lubrication isattained, economy in fuel results by burning the hot vapors releasedfrom the oil, and the lubricated parts are better served by the heavieroils which result from the cooling.

\Vith the above and other objects in view our invention consists of theimproved oilcooling device hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and inwhich similar reference characters indicate like parts in the severalviews: Figure 1 is an elevation of the crank case of an automobile(parts losing broken away) with our improved device connected therewith,a part of the wall of. the latter, being also broken away;

and

Figure 3-is af vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, the oil cooler is shown as a receptacle A rectangularin cross-section and about twice as high as it is wide. It is to beunderstood that we are by no means to be limited to this shape ofreceptacle-as it may be cylindrical or of other relative proportions; itis only so shown as probably convenient for-mounting, though othershapes may be adapted to particular conditions.

The device A is mountedon the case 1 by drilling a hole in the latterand fitting a pipe at thereinto and securing the other end in the sidewall of the receptacle; and the capacity of the latter is foundto beappropriately about two quarts, so that with the usual oil supply in thecase, the cooler will be about half full. It is to he noted that it isnot essential that another opening I shall be drilled in the case, as itwilloften.

be found convenient to mount the tube at in the lower pet-cock of thecase, which will avoid another drilling.

Through an opening 8, in the top of the i I cooler, a tube 3 is extendedinto the body until its lower open end 5 approaches the bottom of thecan though slightly spaced therefrom. The upper end of the tube 3 isprotected by a hood 2 in which a membrane or screen 7 prevents theentrance of extraneous matter into the tube. Air can therefore enter thetube and descend therein and bubble up through the'loil in the can whensuflicient vacuum exists to cause such entrance. A smaller pipe isscrewed into an other portion of the top of thecan, and a pipe 10 isconnected detachably thereto by means of a turnbuckle nut. 9.

Said pipe 10 leads to the intake manifold,

11 conveying thereto the hot and light a. pors from. the lubricatingoilthat has become heated in the crank case. These vapors will be burnedin the cylinders along with the ordinary fuel coming from thecarburettor 12.

The rece tacle A is provided with fins .6, if it is desired, to assistsomewhat in the cooling function though it may not be thought desirablein some cases; and may also be provided with a plug 14 in its bottom,for cleaning purposes.

It will be understood that while the engine is running, there will be amaterial vacuum in the intake manifold, which results in a correspondingvacuum in the receptacle A above the oil therein which latter conditioncauses the outside air to rush in through the screen 9 and down the tubeas before explained, thus cooling the oil.

This constant ingress of air into the receptacle and bubbling throughthe oil therein has a very positive cooling action on the oil throughwhich'it passes and consequently on the oil in the crank case with whichit is in free communication by means of the tube 4. It is a markedadvantage of our structure that the cooling effect is attained withoutrequiring additional energy to be supplied from the common source ofpower of the engine itself. There is no fan to be driven and no pump tobe actuated to produce a liquid circulation; in fact, power is sfaygd bythe vapors conducted to the mani- While this device is shown attached toan engine for driving a vehicle, it is to be expressly understood thatwe do not desire to be so limited, but that it is adaptable, and will befound valuable for use with internalcombustion engines of any type, andwhether applied to vehicles or to stationary machines; and if applied tovehicles, it may easily be used with autos of any make, or with trucksand tractors.

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the exact form of the elements,or the particular combination shown and described, for it would appearto be possible tomodif y the structure shown substantially withoutenlarging the scope or departing from the spirit of our invention, andwe desire to claim broadly on the novel means and connections described.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cooling and refining device for lubricating oils in the crank caseof internal combustion engines comprising a receptacle detachablymounted on the case by a tube having its ends secured in the wall ofsaid case and receptacle, respectively, said tube having freecommunication with the contents of the receptacle at its lower portionand with the case at a point below the normal level of the oil therein,pipe connection between the top of the receptacle and the intakemanifold, and means immersed below the level of the oil in saidreceptacle and communicating above the oil level with the outside air,to afford circulation of the latter through the oil in the receptacle tocool the oil in both the receptacle and the case, and carry off thelighter oils and direct them into said manifold;

2. A device for cooling and refining the oil in the crank case ofinternal combustion engines comprising a hollow receptacle having threeopenings in its walls, two above the level of the oil therein and onebelow, tubular means connecting the lower opening of the. receptaclewith the interior of the crank case to mount the receptacle in spacedrelation from the said case and to afford a common level of the oil inthe two receptacles, a tube having an open end inserted through one ofthe upper openings into the oil receptacle and below the oil leveltherein and a screened upper end permitting the entrance of air thereinand emergence thereof from the lower end through the oil containedtherein to cool the latter, and tube means connecting the other upperopening of the receptacle with the intake manifold whereby a vacuum iscreated in the oil receptacle and the hot vapors are conveyed to andmixed with the fuel vapors received from the carburetter when the engineis running, substantially as set forth.

3. A cooling and refining device for the crank case of internalcombustion engines comprising a hollow body detachably mounted on saidcase but spaced therefrom, and having communication means connected withthe case for permitting the oil to rise in the said hollow body to thesame level as the oil in the case, said body having two openings in itswalls above the ordinary level of the oil in the body or case, meansconnecting one of said openings with the intake manifold, and anopen-ended tube inserted through the other opening by a gastight fit andimmersed below the common oil level in said body, substantially as setforth.

4:. Means for cooling and refining the oil in the crank case of aninternal combustion engine comprising a closed receptacle, means formounting the latter upon said case in spaced relation therefrom and incommunication with the interior of said case, so as to have the same oillevel in each, means on said receptacle communicating with the outsideair for directing the latter down into the oil in said receptacle and anair-tight tube for conveying vapors from the recep-' tacle to the intakemanifold, substantially as set forth.

5. Means for cooling and refining the oil in the crank case of aninternal combustion engine comprising a closed, hollow receptaclemounted exteriorly upon and in communication with the interior of saidcase, though spaced therefrom, whereby the same oil level will exist inboth receptacle and case, and means communicating with the outside airfor directing the latter down through the oil within said receptacle andout therefrom and into the intake manifold.

6. Means for cooling and refining the 011 in the crank case of aninternal combustion and in communication with the interior of said case,so as to have the same olllevel 1n both receptacle and case, and meansfor causing a aseous circulation of outside air into and through the oilin said receptacle and out therefrom.

' 7. A cooling and refining attachment for the oil in the crank case ofinternal combustion engines comprising a receptacle having tubular meansfor mounting the same upon the crank case, and allording freecommunication between the lower portions of both receptacle and case, soasto afford the same oil level in each, the top wall of thereceptacle'being rovided with twoapertures, an open en ed tube havingits lower end projecting below the normal level of the oil in saidreceptacle, mounted mom of said apertures and communicating with theoutside air, and a tubular member connecting the other aperture with theintake manifold, whereby vacuum created in the latter by the running ofthe engine will cause a circulation of fresh air through the oil in saidreceptacle to cool the same and thereby the case oil.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.

WILLIAM ECKSTEIN.

ELROY H. MACE.

